Discovery
by Melissa2
Summary: Red XIII and Aeris discover something new about themselves that changes everything...please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Please read and review!  
  
  
  
The night was unusually quiet in Seventh Heaven, the tavern and inn that had been opened to replace the destroyed bar. Tifa had convinced Cloud to take her out for the evening, with Aeris's objections, of course. Cid had left in a hurry to go see Shera. Barret took Marlene to an amusement park for her birthday, accompanied by Cait Sith who wanted to see some old friends in the area. They wouldn't return until tomorrow. Vincent and Yuffie had walked out the door arguing over trivial matters, specifically the television line-up for later in the evening. Red XIII lay on the couch down in the basement, eyes glued on the Discovery Channel, but his mind was elsewhere. A sigh escaped him as he stretched his long lithe figure. Even with his acute hearing, his preoccupations made him oblivious to Aeris quietly approaching the couch from behind.   
  
"Are you all right?" Aeris asked as she seated herself beside him.  
  
"What? Oh, I'm fine..." Red responded instinctively.  
  
"Are you sure? You look a little down."  
  
"I was just thinking." He hoped she wouldn't go any further with this string conversation, even though he knew she was only concerned about his well-being.  
  
"Is it the same thing that has had you in less than good spirits for quite awhile now?" She hated to pry when she could tell he didn't want to talk about it, but it wasn't good for him to bottle up everything. 'He is such a closed person, and I know...from personal experience that can really get to a person over time,' she thought.  
  
Reluctant to reveal anything to her, he simply said, "Yes, it is."  
  
"Do you wanna talk about it? It'll make you feel better if you do. Maybe I can give you some advice, if you would like. You can trust me. I won't tell anyone."  
  
'This is the perfect time,' he thought. 'Tell all now and hope that nothing changes. Really, it is all you can do.' He sighed and turned to face her. "You're right, but I don't know if you will want to hear this. I'll stop at any time if it begins to make you at all uncomfortable."  
  
"Don't worry about making me uncomfortable. You won't. I've heard a lot living in the slums. There isn't much left that bothers me." She assured him to the best of her ability, but knew that if he said it could make her uncomfortable, it probably would.  
  
"I will start at the beginning...do you remember back in Hojo's lab before the rest of AVALANCHE rescued us?"  
  
"Mostly...it has been some time, though."   
  
"When we were supposed to be unconscious in the lab, I was simply feigning it. I heard everything Hojo said about us and his plans. Do you remember hearing anything?"  
  
"No, I don't. What was he saying?" She wondered where all of this was leading. It had been many months since they had been in Hojo's lab. It was a memory she would rather forget completely.  
  
"Hojo said we were the last of our kinds and with our end, a species would be extinct." He paused to calm his tone and made eye contact with Aeris again. 'Don't back down now. What happens will happen.' "He wanted to continue both species. He proposed that our species be bred. Then, AVALANCHE rescued us from the lab."  
  
She was silent for a moment. 'I don't want to make assumptions, but I think I know where he's going with all of this. What do I say to him?' "Oh. I didn't know that was what Hojo intended to do."  
  
"It was at that time I...first found myself thinking about you in the aspect of a...lover. More and more I began thinking about it as I became a true part of AVALANCHE. I have very strong feelings for you, Aeris." He looked down at the floor shamefully.  
  
"Red...I had no idea." She was in shock and speechless for several minutes after that. All she could do was stare at the obvious heartbreak that was consuming him. This hadn't been something she had ever thought about before now. Compelled by a force she couldn't identify, she moved closer to him and embraced him tightly. "It's okay," she whispered.  
  
The tears began flowing from both of their eyes. They remained there, unmoving, for what felt like an eternity. They both spent the time deep in thought and reflection, wondering what course of action would unfold next. Unlike most extended silences between people, this was a comfortable silence that felt natural.   
  
Aeris moved back to look into his eyes. She could sense how much he cared for her now and smiled at how close she had been to him yet hadn't seen it before. She leaned forward and kissed him. 'This is right...more right than anything else,' she thought.  
  
Red was nothing short of astonished by the kiss. He did not respond to it, only submitted himself to her. He broke the kiss suddenly and looked at her. "Are you sure that you want this and it isn't out of pity for me? If it is, don't be hesitant to tell me. I will understand."  
  
"I'm doing this because of how I feel for you...how I've always felt for you but just never realized it. The best things are often right under your nose, but you overlook them. I can't believe I could overlook you, though, Red."  
  
"Call me Nanaki." This was the first time he had ever allowed someone outside of those he had called his family use his given name.  
  
"Nanaki...such a beautiful name."  
  
"Thank you." He yawned and arched his back. Crying had depleted his energy significantly, and it was getting very late.  
  
"I'm tired, too. Why don't we go to my place and talk for awhile? There's a lot we need to talk about, Nanaki."  
  
"Yes. We do have a great deal to talk about."  
  
With that, the pair left the inn and tavern for Aeris's home. There was indeed much to be discussed...  
  
  
  
To be possibly continued...  
  
Please review! Should there be a sequel? 


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for all the reviews on the first one! As suggested by one of the reviews, I added the element of humor to parts of the story, but I'm not really that good at writing funny stuff so please bear with me on it. I also added how Aeris was alive, which probably doesn't make very much sense. I really didn't know she died before, because I haven't finished the game yet. And again, please read and review. ^_^  
  
  
  
Aeris shivered in the cold of the night as she walked by Red XIII's side. They had begun their walk with some small talk, but the conversation had slowly died. She no longer took silence such as this for granted, like she did before she was resurrected through the intervention of the Lifestream. It was not her time, the souls she encountered had told her. She still had much to do in her corporeal form before she would join them.  
  
"Isn't that the path your house is on?" Red's voice broke her train of thought as she looked back. She had just passed the path.  
  
"Yes, it is." She smiled and turned around. "Sorry."  
  
"I don't recall ever visiting your home before."   
  
"You haven't. Only Barret, Tifa and Cloud have. They helped me move some things in, but other than that, I don't have any visitors usually. It's mostly only my flowers and me."  
  
The second her yard came into close view, she heard a gasp from Red. "The flowers are beautiful. I thought that flowers couldn't be grown in cities, though."  
  
"Thank you, Nanaki. It takes more than this soil to grow them, though. I had to buy special soil and supplies."  
  
He leaned down and smelled the flowers. This is the first time Aeris had seen him admiring the beauty of nature the way she did. 'There is much to learn about you,' she thought. 'You're so quiet and deep. There must be a lot you have kept hidden from everyone.'  
  
They reached her front door, and she unlocked it, ushering him in. "Make yourself at home. Would you like anything to eat or drink?"  
  
"Not right now, but thank you for offering."  
  
"I'm going to go put some tea on the stove. I'll be back in a minute."  
  
Red took her temporary absence to his advantage by exploring the living room. He discovered a picture of Aeris and Cloud taken at Golden Saucer sitting on her mantle. A pang of jealousy ran through him. 'Does she really care about me, or am I just a diversion to keep Cloud off her mind? Tifa and Cloud have been spending a lot of time together lately, now that I think about it.'  
  
"I'm not interested in that cross-dressing spikey headed jerk anymore, if that's what you're thinking. I'm not usually one to hold grudges, but I hate having my heart broken by SOLDIER failures." Aeris lifted the picture from the mantle and dropped it on the floor.  
  
Red was surprised. He had never seen an outburst from the sweet and innocent Aeris like that before. 'Maybe she isn't with me right now as a diversion. Seems more like revenge on Cloud and whoever else has broken her heart.'  
  
"Let's forget about him right now, though. Right now I want to talk about you..about us." She gestured at a couch near the mantle and took a seat herself.   
  
"Yes." Red jumped up onto the couch beside her, still wary of her motives. She leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss. "There are some things you should know about me before we proceed any further, though, Aeris."  
  
"Like what, Nanaki? I'm sure whatever it is won't change how I feel."  
  
He sighed. 'I don't want to lose this, if we have anything between us. But she has the right to know.' "I am nearly 49 of your human years in age. But in comparison to your human lifespan and mine, that would put me at approximately 15 or 16 if I were human. I am a child."  
  
"What?!" Her words were more harsh than she intended for them to be. "I mean, you seem so much more mature than that."  
  
"Does it bother you?"   
  
"I must admit that it is a little unsettling...more than a little..."  
  
A slight scuffling is heard from the stairs, and the pair turns around to see Yuffie. "Unsettling?!? It should be illegal, if it isn't already! You want to do stuff with a cat dog my age that doesn't even vaguely look human?!? What's wrong with you Aeris?!?" Yuffie laughed as she carried an armload of materia down the stairs.  
  
"That's my materia!" Aeris stood and ran towards the stairs. An indignant Red lept off the couch to prevent her from exiting through the front door.  
  
"This is a private conversation." Red calmly stated as he guarded the door.  
  
"It won't private when I tell everyone else! The things they'll say! Man, this will be GOOD!" Yuffie jumped around Aeris to be met by a Red with bared teeth, growling.  
  
"You will not tell anyone," he growled as he mauled Yuffie. The rage was almost emanating from his amber eyes. "Especially anyone from AVALANCHE. I have always wanted to do a human disection with my bare claws. If I found out you have told anyone, you will be my subject. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes." Yuffie was as white as a ghost. Aeris took the materia from her and opened the front door. Yuffie ran out of the house in a flash. After she was certain that Yuffie was not returning, Aeris shut and locked the door.  
  
Red laughed, which sounded like a pleasant cross between a purr and growl. "I think she believed my idle threats. She won't be coming back here anytime soon."  
  
"Are you physically mature or are you still growing?" Aeris plopped back down on the couch with Red right behind her.  
  
"I have little or no growing left to do. 250 years is the average lifespan of my tribe. That simply means that I have a long time left to live, not that I'm really physically immature. If there were more than one of my species remaining, then I would be considered a child. But I am all that's left..."  
  
"Oh...it still makes me a little uncomfortable, though...I don't know why but I keep thinking that being with you would be wrong the way that me being with a teenage boy would be wrong. But you're so much more mature than that. This is all...confusing."  
  
"I understand. I'll leave you so you can think about it. I don't want my presence to cause you to do something that you don't feel is right."  
  
"No, you don't have to leave! Please don't, Nanaki. It's really late and pretty far back to Seventh Heaven. I have a spare bedroom upstairs. I don't want to spend all night worrying about you."  
  
After a moment of silent deliberation, he gave in. "Okay. I'll stay in your spare bedroom for tonight...but I'm going to leave very early in the morning. I don't want your reputation stained by everyone finding out I stayed here."  
  
"I'm going upstairs. I'm very tired, and a good night's sleep will help clear my mind. You can come up when you feel like going to bed. I'll leave the guest room door opened." She began walking up the stairs. "But don't try to leave. I'll know if you leave before the morning comes."  
  
'She reads my mind,' he thought as he settled on the couch. The only sound to be heard after Aeris's room door closed was the ticking of the large clock hanging beside the window. He counted the clock's ticks and thought about Aeris until he found himself drifting off. He softly crept upstairs into the room with the opened door and layed on the bed. Soon, he fell asleep.  
  
  
A few hours later...  
  
  
Red purred as he felt his tense back muscles being rubbed. He was still partially unconscious and assumed he was dreaming. The hands were warm and experienced in the realm of massage. It felt so relaxing, so good. He continued his content purring. His eyes soon fluttered opened. He, then, remembered where he was and turned his head to see Aeris grinning in the candle light.  
  
"Did you know you can purr in eight or nine different ways, depending on how and where I massage you?" She continued grinning and massaging him.   
  
He was very happy that he was incapable of blushing at the moment because if he would have been blushing a very deep red if he could. "You're a very talented masseuse. What time is it?"  
  
"It's only about two in the morning. Don't worry about that now. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Good...surprisingly good." He allowed his eyes to further adjust to the lack of light as he became more alert.  
  
"I'm glad." She kissed him passionately.   
  
Getting caught up in the moment, he returned the kiss and let himself sink into the orb of contentment surrounding him. 'Yes, this is nice,' he detachedly thought and sank even deeper into oblivion. His mind returned from its state when he heard a soft tap on the window. He reluctantly broke the kiss and looked towards the window. 'Yuffie,' he thought.  
  
"You foo'! You haf' to go ruinin' the show!" a loud whisper said that was obviously Barret.  
  
"You were the one who wouldn't move so I could get a better view." It sounded like Cid. "No, it was you, Yuffie. You and Tifa insisted on having the best view."  
  
"Shut up! They'll hear us." This was definitely Cloud.  
  
"Now they stopped!" Tifa hissed. "I was looking forward to this." Now that his eyes had completely adjusted, he could see Tifa was looking dreamily at Cloud.  
  
"Would the voyeuristic party outside of the window please leave?" Red asked as he jumped off the bed and approached the window. They showed no signs of even thinking of leaving. There were several ladders propped up against the house, which the group was using to watch. With a wicked grin, Red cast a quake spell, which sent them all toppling to the ground. "That'll teach them."  
  
"Everyone insists on interrupting us." Aeris groaned. "Another question has just popped into my head. Are we...ummmmm...physically compatible if it ever will come to that?"  
  
"Hojo wouldn't have had his plans in mind if we weren't. It just might take some slight adjustments...but I don't think we should be that involved so soon." Again, embarrassment began to overwhelm him. He only felt this way around Aeris.   
  
"I don't either. I was just wondering...after this, I don't think I'll be able to get back to sleep. Do you want to go do something to pass the time?"  
  
"Why not? What do you want to do?"   
  
"We should do something fun...it's karaoke and all you can eat steak night down at Nigel's Place."   
  
"Sounds good to me."  
  
"Let's go! We're going to have a great time!" Aeris was very enthusiastic as she got ready and as they left for Nigel's Place...  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Conversation was filling the walk to Nigel's Place for Aeris and Red XIII. They were both enjoying each other's company very much, until they had an unexpected confrontation.  
  
"What's wrong wit' you, Aeris?" Barret approached the couple.  
  
"There's nothing wrong with me." She was silently hoping this was not over what happened back at her house. 'He wouldn't have the audacity to discuss in front of Nanaki...would he?' she thought.  
  
"You wanna $@%# a catdog! There's somethin' wrong wit' that! You could jus' go to the damn pet store and buy a cat and a dog to $@%#!" Barret was screaming the words right into Aeris's face.  
  
"Leave Red out of this, Barret! It's none of your business who I decide to have a relationship with! He isn't just an animal. He's more human than most of us are." She became very defensive and stood in front of Red.  
  
"Barret, if you do have a problem with this, I would prefer you discussed it with me." Red walked from behind Aeris and looked up at Barret with indignance in his eyes. "This has nothing to do with Aeris and everything to do with me."  
  
"You and me, Red. Tomorrow mornin' at Seventh Heaven at eleven. An' don't you go doin' anythin' wit' Aeris before that, you hear me?!" Barret backed away and stomped off in the direction of Seventh Heaven.  
  
"I knew they wouldn't exactly support this...but what Barret did with you right there..." Aeris slowly walked over to a bench and sat down. "How could he be so upset over it? You've always been true to all of us and AVALANCHE. I just don't understand this."  
  
"They consider a relationship between us wrong morally. They see me as just another domesticated dog or cat like the ones the humanoid inhabitants keep as pets. You don't consider this beastialitity, do you? Do you feel this is wrong?" Red kept a short distance from Aeris. He knew that with what Barret had said, it might make her uncomfortable.  
  
"I...I don't know. I myself am Cetra, technically not human, but I appear human. You don't appear human physically, but you are intelligent and have feelings. You don't behave like an animal at all...I just don't know, Nanaki. This is so different from any other case, so many variables involved. I don't know what it would be called, but I know I do feel something for you and I do want to find out what it is that I'm feeling." Aeris held back her tears. 'Things would be much simpler now if only Barret hadn't come,' she thought.  
  
"I understand...do you still want to go down to Nigel's Place?" Red wondered how strong the opposition from the other members of AVALANCHE, the only ones he had ever called friends, would be. 'Is being with Aeris worth losing everyone else, Nanaki?' he asked himself.  
  
"Yeah, it'll be good for both of us. You need to get out more and enjoy yourself. And I need to get my mind off of everything." She stood began walking towards Nigel's Place again, followed closely by Red.  
  
They reached the crowded tavern and restaurant without further confrontation. When they entered, a young child screamed out in sheer terror, "Mommy, it's a monster! Get it away from me!"  
  
Red looked around him for a beast or monster, but then realized that it was himself that the child thought was a monster. Much of the rest of Nigel's Place's customers seemed to feel the same. Aeris was soon lost in the crowd from him so Red simply left. He felt guilt over leaving her there alone. 'But I wasn't welcome. It's best that I left before they labelled her unnecessarily, too. I'm much better off sitting in a corner down in the basement at Seventh Heaven. The only reason she probably even thinks she has any feelings for me is because she's drunk. I'm almost certain she was drunk when we were at her house and everyone was outside of the window.'   
  
Red ran all the way back to Seventh Heaven as fast as he could push himself to go. He wished that he hadn't told Aeris how he felt and that he was still admiring her from a distance. Things had been much simpler that way. When he arrived at Seventh Heaven, he went straight down to the basement and curled up in the corner. He felt empty inside, so alone it was almost like ice within his heart.  
  
"Red?" Tifa called into the nearly pitch black basement. "I saw you come down here. You can't hide."  
  
"I'm here," he eventually responded.  
  
Tifa walked over to the corner she heard his voice from and said, "I know what Barret did, and he's sorry for saying those things he said. He was just upset after having a long talk with some people and finding out some things he didn't know before. Whatever happens, though, I support whatever decisions you and Aeris come to."  
  
"What did Barret find out?"  
  
"I'm really not supposed to go into this with you, but Cloud told Barret he was in love with Aeris. He's really hurting right now, and Barret couldn't stand seeing him like that. So he just let it all out on you...I'm hurting as much as you are right now, Red. But it will get better. Don't tell anyone this...I have been in love with Cloud since we were barely teenagers. And until tonight I thought he felt the same about me...but please don't tell anyone that."  
  
"I won't...and I really hope that you are correct about everything getting better. I don't want to be the cause of the break up of our friendships..."  
  
"Just get some sleep, Red. You'll feel better in the morning. By the way, where's Aeris?"  
  
"After some customers at Nigel's Place expressed their opposition to me dining at the establishment, I left her there. I know I should have told her I was leaving, but she was lost in the crowd."  
  
"I'll go down to Nigel's Place now to check on her. And please don't worry about all this. Good night, Red."  
  
"Good night, Tifa. Thank you."   
  
"Anytime." With that, Tifa headed to Nigel's Place to find Aeris.  
  
Red spent an hour worrying about seeing Barret in the morning and Aeris's well-being. He had a feeling something catastrophic was going to happen very soon. Trying to cast it out of his mind, he fell into a restless sleep...  
  
  
  
Please review! 


	4. Chapter 4

Cloud's room in Seventh Heaven was silent, except for the occassional sob and whimper of her name. He wanted to maintain his strong exterior, but it was becoming impossible as he thought more and more about Red XIII and Aeris. 'My Aeris...my beautiful Aeris. How did I let this happen? I should have spent more time with Aeris instead of Tifa. But Tifa really needed the company and asked for it. Aeris just spent her time alone after she came back from death. How could something that isn't even human take her away from me so easily? I have saved her life more than once and been nothing but good to her. Yet she goes for Red!' His sadness was beginning a conversion into vengeance.  
  
The door creaked open so softly that Cloud didn't hear it. Barret watched his friend who was so strong usually sobbing his eyes out. 'This is over Aeris and Red. That catdog has brung our leader to tears! He's gonna pay for 'dis!' Barret couldn't bear seeing Cloud, the man who had been there for him and sympathized when no one else had, sobbing like a small child. He left without Cloud knowing and stomped downstairs.   
  
"Red better hope I don't find 'im! 'Cause if I do, there won't be much left for Aeris to love!"   
  
  
At Nigel's Place, Aeris looked frantically for Red. "Nanaki!" She yelled his name several times before pushing her way through the bustling crowd to the counter. "Have you seen a...ummmm...red creature that looks like a cross between a cat and dog about four feet high anywhere around here recently? I can't seem to find him."  
  
"Wait a moment...hey Nigel, we've got another drunk one here. She's mighty pretty, too." The cashier said aside to the manager of the tavern.  
  
A very built-up man grabbed Aeris from behind, and she cried out. "What are you doing?!?"  
  
"We need to have a word with you in the back." He pulled her behind the counter and into a store room.  
  
"Stop this! Leave me alone!" Aeris was beginning to get scared. She hadn't brought her rod with her so she was nearly defenseless.  
  
"Shut up already!" The man covered her mouth with his hand.  
  
She tried to scream, kick and bite him with no avail. He threw her into a dimly lit, musty storage room, closing and locking the door behind him. There were several men inside of similar build. They all wore grins that she knew could only indicate one thing. She was trembling despite her efforts not to.  
  
"What do we have here?" One of the men stepped forward to look at her. "Why it's a pretty little lady. We've scared her, though. Nothing to be scared of, darlin'. You won't even remember this tomorrow."  
  
She was jerked up to her feet by a man behind her. He pulled her around and began kissing her. While trying to fight him off, she yelled, "Please don't do this!"   
  
The men began laughing hysterically at her attempts to break free. "She's a fiesty one, ain't she?"  
  
"I think we're gonna need some help to make her be a good girl."  
  
The man who had been kissing her lifted her to a corner where there was a wide long metal slat slightly off the floor. He threw her down on it and two other men tied her limbs to it. She was now shaking so hard it caused the slat to clink against the wall behind it.  
  
"Here we go, darlin'," the man who had first spoken to her laughed as he reached behind her and began to unzip her sea foam green dress.  
  
  
Red awoke to hear Barret saying from upstairs, "Red better hope I don't find 'im! 'Cause if I do, there won't be much left for Aeris to love!"  
  
He jumped up to his feet and scanned the room for a means of escape that did not involve going upstairs. There was a small window at the top the basement, opened for ventilation on hot days. 'It will be a very tight fit. I might be able to fit through.' Red jumped as high as he could and clung to the ledge of the window. He used one of his claws to carefully unlock the window and opened it by head butting it. He began to wriggle through it, but became stuck about halfway through. He continued to kick his hind legs and pull forward with his front legs.  
  
"I see yo' Red!" he heard Barret say from inside before feeling the wall shake as bullets hit the area around his hind quarters.   
  
  
Tifa wrapped her jacket around herself tighter as she walked quickly down the street. Late nights made her very uncomfortable and paranoid for some reason. She began humming to keep herself company before she reached Nigel's Place. The tavern was, as usual, crowded. 'I'm sure going to have a time finding her in this crowd.'   
  
She saw a couple sitting at a table near the door and tapped the woman on the shoulder. "Have you seen a girl about my height with brown hair and really green eyes here? She was probably wearing a pastel dress."  
  
"Sorry, we haven't," the woman said.  
  
"Thank you anyway."  
  
Tifa continued her search until she asked a man at the bar if he had seen Aeris.  
  
"Yeah, I saw a girl that looked like that. The manager took her to the back for some reason. But I think she might have left." He took another drink from his mug.  
  
"Thank you very much. You don't know how much this means to me."  
  
"You're welcome." He hiccupped and almost knocked his mug over.  
  
'I really hope that isn't just the beer and that he really did see Aeris. I should probably check in back,' Tifa thought as she walked behind the counter.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?!" the woman tending the bar asked her. "This area is for staff memebers only!"  
  
"One of my friends was taken back here, and I have the right to know what happened to her." Tifa pushed past the woman and headed towards the doors.  
  
"No you don't! I'm going to have to ask you to leave if you go any futher!" The woman followed her.  
  
"I am going to find my friend! And you can't stop me!" Tifa turned around to face the woman.  
  
The woman tried to punch Tifa, but her aim was horrible so she ended up tripping. Tifa belted the woman square in the eye and sent her to the floor easily. She put her mind back onto the task of finding Aeris and tried to open the door. It was locked. "Damn," she muttered under her breath as she began banging on the door.  
  
A man eventually opened the door, and Tifa caught a glimpse of Aeris almost undressed and restrained in the corner. Her jaw dropped, and she looked at the man standing at the door.  
  
"What do you want?" He stepped outside of the room.  
  
"I want you to leave my friend alone!" Tifa was so angry at the men she forgot she was outnumbered. Two of the men stepped outside and grabbed her. "Leave me alone! Let go of me!"  
  
Even with her attempts to escape, they managed to disarm her and drag her into the room... 


	5. Chapter 5

Warning: This is not very good for several reasons. I haven't gotten very much sleep over the past few days (about a total of 10 hours over 3 days). I have been SO busy at school and wrote this mostly during my lunch periods. That is why it is not good, so please forgive me. It will be better next time I post another part, which will be on Saturday. Again, thank you for bearing with me on any misspellings and other mistakes I have in this.  
  
  
  
  
Red XIII jerked his body forward as the bullets from Barret's gun arm pumelled through the wall around him. The bullets grew dangerous close to his hind quarters until one grazed his left back paw. Several bullets penetrated before pain his survival instinct gave him a new boost of strength. He ran the best he could, dragging his hind legs behind him, as bullets whizzed through the window past him. With no healing materia , he would soon bcome a sitting duck for the enraged Barret. Loss of blood was sending him onto the virge of unconsciousness. He managed to reach several trash cans near a fence before falling.  
  
  
Cloud paced his room in Seventh Heaven. He passed the mirror and glanced into it, barely recognizing his own reflection. 'I look like hell,' he thought when he saw his bloodshot blue eyes, pale tearstreaked face and tangled blond hair. He walked over to the sink, turned on the water and pushed the hard metal plug into the drain. He stripped off his outer shirt, leaving a tight white muscle shirt. 'You can't let a woman do this to you.' He turned off the water and splashed it on his face. 'Forget about her. It can wait until tomorrow. You really need some sleep.' He dipped his entire head into the cold water, his dulled senses coming back to life with new vitality. Though he had intended on taking a nap, Cloud decided to pay a visit to the local gym. He left his room, not even bothering to put his outer shirt back on. After going downstairs and out the front door, he stopped and gaped in horror at what he saw. A trail of blood was going from the basement window out onto the sidewalk. He followed the trail quickly, pitying whoever had lost so much blood. In the back of his mind, he feared it was Aeris. If it were, he knew she couldn't live through the loss of this much blood. He discovered Red beside several trash cans, bleeding profusely. He took a step back in surprise and used all the self-control he had to suppress his jealousy and anger towards him.   
  
"Tifa and Aeris...Nigel's Place...danger...go." Red went completely unconscious as he uttered the last word. It seemed to be of the utmost urgence and importance to him.  
  
With some hesistence, Cloud quickly cast a healing spell on Red. It almost depleted his magic to nothing. He wondered what had happened. Someone or something was definitely out to get Red, and it wouldn't have a hard time killing him now. With a sigh, he used the last of his points to cast a weak barrier to weapons around him and ran off towards Nigel's Place.  
  
  
Barret's rage had subsided. He was still very upset, but now he was clear-minded enough to realize that this wasn't Red's fault totally. Aeris felt something for him, too, supposedly. Barret still had his doubts. Serious doubts. He hurried out of Seventh Heaven and saw the trail of blood. "That catdog's a #^@*$!& bleeder! I didn't shoot da foo' that much!" He folowed the trail to the trash cnas and saw Red. It was obvious that someone had cast a healing spell on Red. He also saw the barrier cast around him when he looked at him right. "Cloud!" Barret hoisted Red over his shoulder, which was not by any means an easy task and carried him back to Seventh Heaven.  
  
"Marlene!" he shouted across the room.  
  
"What, daddy?" Marlene steeped out from behind the service desk.  
  
"Watch him until he wakes up." Barret dropped Red down onto the loveseat like he was a sack of potatoes.  
  
"Okay, daddy." She smiled at him.  
  
Barret went upstairs to Cloud's room to find him gone, as he had suspected. He was worried about Cloud's safety in his emotional condition and hurried out of the inn.  
  
  
Aeris observed Tifa in silence from the corner. She found Tifa's assertiveness and courage in the situation nothing short of extraordinary. She had always considered herself inferior to men, and they could easily evoke terror within her. Especially men like this. She had been strong before, but now they had her tied down. Tifa had come in at the nick of time. It definitely saved her.  
  
"Get your hands off of me! Men like you make me sick." Tifa's voice was abnormally cold and cruel.  
  
'The men seemed to have forgotten all about me,' Aeris thought. She thought too soon. One of them began approaching her again.   
  
"Why aren't you fiesty like your friend? I like fiesty girls." He was staggering around a bit, probably had one too many drinks.   
  
Aeris remained silent while Tifa fought against the men encircling her.  
  
"Aren't you gonna talk to me, pretty baby?" He leaned against the wall near her.  
  
"She doesn't talk to trash like you!" Tifa yelled from across the room.  
  
Suddenly, the man pounced on Aeris, evoking a loud scream. "Please don't do this!" she shrieked.  
  
  
Cloud shivered as he hurried to Nigel's Place. 'The sleeveless shirt and wet hair were really a wonderful choice on a cold night,' he thought. The streets lonely. The usual bustle during the day had subsided to eerie silence. It didn't bother him, though. His years in SOLDIER had provided him with much experience with night watches in similar conditions. The memories from SOLDIER pained him. He cast them out of his mind as he walked through the door of Nigel's Place. It was crowded and very loud. Drunks were everywhere, bumping into each other, singing raunchy ballads and chugging down mug after mug. The sight would have been slightly amusing had he not heard a shrill scream. He knew that scream anywhere. It was Aeris.  
  
"She's in trouble." He realized where the scream originated from. He had been to Nigel's Place enough times he knew it like the back of his hand. It was from the store room. He pushed past everyone at the bar and behind the bar. Everyone was drunk enough they didn't seem to care. He tried to open the store room door only to discover it was locked. Four swift kicks brought it down like it was made of styrofoam.  
  
What he saw when he entered the room brought him to nausea. Some man was all over a tied down Aeris in the corner. Cloud pulled out his sword and killed the man who approached him with a gun. He ran straight for Aeris, not even noticing Tifa was in the room. He brutally slashed Aeris's assailant while mumbling obscenities. He killed the other two men in the room with the assistance of Tifa before freeing Aeris.  
  
"Are you okay?" He grabbed her dress from a chair nearby and handed it to her, blushing slightly.  
  
"Yeah, they just bruised me a little. I'll be fine."  
  
"What about you, Tifa?"  
  
"I'm okay, too. You came just in time. Thank you, Cloud."  
  
"Yeah, thanks." Aeris stood and brushed herself off before walking towards the door. "Let's get out of here."  
  
The trio left Nigel's Place, all shaken considerably. The walk towards Seventh Heaven was mostly silent and thought filled.  
  
"Aeris, I know now is not the time for this sort of thing...but I really want to know...nevermind." Cloud forced himself to keep his thoughts in his own mind for the time being.  
  
"No, it's okay. What?" She looked into his eyes, and he found himself melting.  
  
"It can wait for a little while. Now's really not the time."  
  
"If you want to talk about it, feel free to."  
  
He could no longer contain it. Even though Tifa was here, it didn't matter to him. He couldn't bear this any longer. "Aeris, I have loved you since the first moment I saw you. Seeing you with Red just kills me inside. Do you love him so much that you can't give me a chance? All I want is a chance."  



	6. Chapter 6

Tifa swallowed her feelings as she heard Cloud profess his love for Aeris. It was something she had suspected for the longest time, but she always denied it to herself. Now she could no longer do that. The pain she felt was numbing. The desire to escape from it all and just run away was very strong.   
  
"I've really gotta go. I have to go and see someone. I'll see you guys later." Tifa hurried off and held back her tears until she was out of view and hearing distance. "I've loved you since we were little kids! You didn't even meet her until less than a year ago. You promised to be my hero...not to break my heart..."  
  
  
  
Red felt warmth on his back and opened his eyes. He looked back to see Marlene sleeping on him, looking peaceful like a little angel. He remained still so not to disturb her, or his very sore feet and hind quarters. He was very surprised to be alive. Someone had cured him, but his mind was very foggy around the time he was shot. He remembered getting out of the basement, nothing more.  
  
"Doggie, are you awake?" Marlene yawned and looked up at him.  
  
"Yes, I'm awake."   
  
"That's good. Are you okay? Daddy said to watch you and make sure you were okay."  
  
"I'll survive...Barret wanted you to watch me? I thought he wanted me dead. Where did your daddy go?" Red mused at how Barret's attitude towards people changed so quickly.  
  
"He was yelling for Cloud upstairs and then left."  
  
Red started worrying about Aeris and Tifa again. He shouldn't have left Aeris there, and now he was paying for it emotionally. 'Why did you have to let those people get to you? Their opinions are meaningless. Aeris is all you should care about, Nanaki.'  
  
Suddenly, someone burst through the doors of the inn. A heated argument was obviously going on.  
  
"I told you that I don't know! What more do you want from me now?! I'll think about it!" It was Aeris. Red turned on the couch to watch her yelling at Cloud. He hoped this was not about him and the current issue of their possible relationship.  
  
"Just give me a chance, Aeris. Please. A yes or no right now." He seemed set on getting an answer from her.  
  
"I don't know! Just drop it, Cloud."   
  
"Fine." He stormed up the stairs.  
  
Red was surprised. He had no clue Cloud also had affections for Aeris. Aeris looked over in his general direction and spotted him. She quickly ran over to him and hugged him. Marlene crawled off of the couch and went back to the service desk.  
  
"I missed you so much, Nanaki. Why did you leave?" Aeris clung to him for dear life.  
  
"I'm so sorry. Everyone seemed to oppose my presence. I let them get to me. Are you all right? Did anything happen after I left?"   
  
"Yeah. But I'd rather not talk about it here. Do you want to go down to the basement?" That look of discomfort and worry filled her green eyes, and Red understood.  
  
He nodded and carefully jumped off of the couch. He limped towards the basement.  
  
"Are you okay? What happened?"  
  
"It's nothing, Aeris." Red knew it was best not to worry Aeris any further. He need not divulge anything concerning the night to her.  
  
"It is something. You're limping. Please tell me what happened. Is there anything I can do?"   
  
"No, I just hurt my back paw a little bit. Really, I'm fine."  
  
They went downstairs, locking the basement door behind them.  
  
"This isn't easy for me to say, Nanaki. I would understand if this changed our friendship and what might become something more. Cloud is in love with me, too. I do really care about you. But I care about him also. And there were some things that happened at Nigel's Place after you left that have changed me. There's just a lot on my mind right now."  
  
"I understand." He held back his anger and sadness. 'He's a human, you're not. That's what this is all about. She wants someone that doesn't look like he could qualify as a house pet. Someone that she won't be publically looked down upon if she shows her affection and association with him. Someone that obviously isn't me. Maybe it's for the best. But I guess we might not ever know that now. We have something in common no one else does, though. We are both the last of what we are. If she didn't look so human, she would understand.'  
  
"No, you don't. You are upset about this. Be upset. Tell me what's on your mind. Just don't keep it all inside." She hoped she was doing what was in the best interest for herself. It scared her that she had just told him to release his anger on her. He was very strong, even though he was usually as gentle as a lamb.  
  
"We could deal with the discrimination against us. Eventually everyone who really cares about us will come to accept it. You know that as well as I do. We don't need anyone else, Aeris. People may talk about us, but people talk all the time. There might be problems with our relationship. I don't doubt that one bit. But if you really do care about me, we could work through all the problems together. I don't expect you to make this decision right here and now. It will change our lives. But I am ready to take the initiative if you are."  
  
"I want to get some sleep. I'll just stay down here on the couch. After what happened earlier, I don't want to go out in the middle of the night by myself."  
  
"Good night, Aeris."  
  
"Good night, Nanaki." He walked over to the corner and curled up.  
  
"What's all that blood over there by the window?" Aeris stood and went over to the window. "It's yours isn't it? And these bullet holes are from Barret. He tried to kill you. Because of me."  
  
"No, it wasn't just that. Don't worry about it. Just go to sleep. I'm fine now."  
  
He watched her walk over to the couch and lay back down. His eyes soon closed and he fell into a deep sleep.  
  
  
  
Aeris awoke bright and early the next morning. The night of sleep had cleared her mind. She knew what she was going to do concerning Cloud and Red. All she had to do was wake them up.  
  
"Nanaki, wake up." She ran across the basement to him. His amber eyes opened.  
  
"Good morning."  
  
"I have made my decision. Come upstairs with me. I'm gonna wake everyone else up."  
  
The pair hurried upstairs to discover everyone else was already awake and about their business. There were no customers in the lobby so Aeris cleared her throat and said, "Would everyone come over here and sit? I have made a decision and I want everyone to know about it now."  
  
Eventually, all of them had gathered. Cloud kept switching his gaze between Aeris and Red. He was obviously nervous, as was Red. That made Aeris unsure of whether she should or should not deliver this to everyone.  
  
"I have made a decision concerning what I'm going to do about Nana-, I mean Red, and Cloud. This was not an easy decision to come to, and I'm going to remind everyone that we aren't getting married or anything. This does mean that the one I have not chosen, though, can't continue incessantly asking me out. But remember we are all still friends. Anyway, I choose..." 


	7. Chapter 7

The poem Cloud writes is not of my own composition. It is the beginning of the lyrics to Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls, and I in no way whatsoever own it. Same goes for the characters from Final Fantasy 7. I often forget to include disclaimers. This one goes for all my FF7 stories.  
  
  
  
Cloud gulped as Aeris began speaking. He didn't know what to feel about this. He was relieved he would know what was going to happen with them, but there was that doubt in the back of his mind that he would be chosen. It was hard for him to convince himself that he was good enough for her. Red was a lot deeper and more sensitive than him. Aeris had always seemed to like that. He had something Red would never have, though--he was a human. The words went in one ear and out the other until she said she had come to her decision.   
  
"I have decided that I want to be with Red. This isn't marriage or anything, of course, and we are all still friends. This doesn't mean I'm rejecting you, Cloud. It just means that I don't want a relationship with you right now. I would like to ask all of you to please respect my decision, even though Red and I are very different."  
  
Cloud didn't know what to say. Those words penetrated deep into his heart like a sword. He wanted to be alone, to think about all of this. Being with several other people, especially Aeris and Red, bothered him too much. He pushed past everyone and ran upstairs.  
  
"Wait, Cloud!" He ignored the call and slammed his door behind him.   
  
"What's he got that I don't have? He isn't even human! And he can't feel for her what I feel!" He grabbed a notebook he kept secretly of poetry and thoughts. He began scrawling down a poem.  
  
And I'd give up forever to touch you  
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be  
And I don't wanna go home right now  
And all I can taste is this moment  
And all I can breathe is your life  
And sooner or later it's over  
I just don't wanna miss you tonight  
And I don't want the world to see me  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
When everything's made to be broken  
I just want you to know who I am  
  
After he finished, he ripped out the piece of paper and crumpled it, throwing it at the door. He laid down on his bed and began what he knew would be a very long nap.  
  
  
The group quickly dispersed off on their own ways, except for Tifa, Aeris and Red. Tifa approached Aeris and softly said, "Look, I know everyone is upset over this. But I support you no matter what everyone else says. It'll just take a little getting used to for them. Good luck, Aeris. I'm gonna go see how Cloud's holding up. Don't worry about him. He'll be fine."  
  
"Thank you." It was all Aeris could think of to say as Tifa left. She looked down at Red and smiled. "You haven't said anything. How are you doing?"  
  
"I'm much better this morning, thank you for asking...if you don't mind my asking, why did you choose me?"  
  
"There is just something about you that feels...right. A relationship with Cloud wouldn't work. We are too emotionally different. But you and I have a lot of common ground inside." She gestured at her heart and sighed. "Let's go for a walk."  
  
"Are you sure that would be a wise decision? You know how people have reacted so far."  
  
"Don't worry about it. It'll give everyone a chance to accept my choice. Anyway, I borrowed a gun from Barret's stash. We'll be fine." She decided to leave out that she had absolutely no experience with fire arms, and that she would probably be more likely to shoot a fence than whatever they could be faced by.  
  
"Sounds good to me, then."  
  
  
Tifa knocked on Cloud's door. There was no answer, and she became very concerned for his well-being. He had been known to go to extremes when he was upset. She also wanted to see him again. He was very vulnerable, and she knew she could use that to her advantage. She had feelings for him since they were teenagers, and now he was definitely single. She opened the door and saw him laying on his bed asleep. She smiled. He looked so angelic and peaceful. A crumpled piece of paper on the floor caught her eye. She picked it up and read it. It was a poem, obviously about the way he felt about Aeris. A stray tear fell down her eye. 'He really does love her. And I was going to come in here to seduce him.' Guilt overcame her, and she started to leave.  
  
"Tifa?" Cloud asked groggily from the bed.  
  
"I'm here. Sorry for waking you. Are you all right?"  
  
"I guess."  
  
"I'll leave you to take your nap."  
  
"No. Stay." He sat up and rubbed his eyes.  
  
"Are you sure?" She wondered why she was questioning his request, when she wanted nothing more than to stay with him.  
  
"Yes. Come sit on the bed. I could really use the company."  
  
She nodded and sat on the bed beside him. "I'm really sorry things didn't work out for you."  
  
"Don't be. It's not your fault. This isn't going to last forever. In the meantime, I can explore other possibilities." He looked deep into Tifa's eyes and kissed her.  
  
'This can't be what he really wants,' she thought. 'This is probably him just getting revenge on Aeris for hurting him. There is no way he could be back to normal this quickly.' Desire won out over logic as she kissed him back. The kisses became increasingly passionate, and all of her mental capabilities were scorched by the fire of her emotions.   
  
  
  
Red and Aeris had ended up back at Aeris's house again. They sat on the couch discussing their relationship, trying to work out the obvious and not so obvious problems that were coming up.   
  
"Have you ever been in a relationship before, Nanaki?"  
  
"No. But I've observed many relationship amongest my friends and acquaintances."  
  
"What makes them all end?"  
  
"Lack of communication, usually. Sometimes because one of the partners doesn't want to make it work. Emotions are complex things. They change, and most are incapable of dealing with it."  
  
"I don't want this to end."  
  
"Nor do I. But something that hasn't really began can't end. We can't show our relationship publically, which eliminates the possiblity of dates."  
  
"No it doesn't. We could have a date watching a movie here. Or I could fix us dinner and we could spend the evening together. Our dates will be a lot more romantic and better than everyone else's."  
  
"I hadn't thought about that."  
  
"Our relationship will be really special...I have something to admit to you, though. Something that I don't even understand myself yet. I haven't told anyone, and I only want you to know about it."  
  
  
  



End file.
